title: The role of Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in staging and restaging of patients with osteosarcoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study is to systematically review the role of positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) with Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in patients with osteosarcoma (OS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive literature search of published studies through October 10(th), 2012 in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus databases regarding whole-body FDG-PET and FDG-PET/CT in patients with OS was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 13 studies including 289 patients with OS. With regard to the staging and restaging of OS, the diagnostic performance of FDG-PET and PET/CT seem to be high; FDG-PET and PET/CT seem to be superior to bone scintigraphy and conventional imaging methods in detecting bone metastases; conversely, spiral CT seems to be superior to FDG-PET in detecting pulmonary metastases from OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Metabolic imaging may provide additional information in the evaluation of OS patients. The combination of FDG-PET or FDG-PET/CT with conventional imaging methods seems to be a valuable tool in the staging and restaging of OS and may have a relevant impact on the treatment planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Natale
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Quartuccio
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Treglia
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salsano
authors.forename: Maria Vittoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Mattoli
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muoio
authors.forename: Arnoldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piccardo
authors.forename: Egesta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lopci
authors.forename: Angelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cistaro
keywords: 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose; PET/CT; bone sarcoma; osteosarcoma; positron emission tomography